A carbide-derived carbon laminate used as a mechanoelectrical sensor

The mechanoelectrical effects attained through the enforced transfer of an ionic liquid through an electric double-layer capacitor-like laminate are described. The core component of the laminate is carbide-derived carbon, supported and separated by poly(vinylidene fluoride co-hexafluoropropylene). The different lateral sizes of the cations and anions of the ionic liquid electrolyte cause their different mobilities in the porous carbon structure. The judicious matching of the porosity of the carbon with the particular ionic liquid allows the formation of a diffusion potential solely by mechanical strain. Bending of this sheet-like laminate generates voltage and current; hence, it can be used as a motion sensor or as an energy harvesting unit.